Visiting a Disney theme park was something that I always dreamed about as a child. I was lucky enough to travel quite a bit in my youth, but going to Disneyland was one adventure I never had the chance to experience. Last year that all changed when my boys and I flew off for a five-day trip to Disneyland to discover our Disney side for the first time.
What’s your Disney side? Well that’s simple. It’s the magic that fills you up and takes over your heart the second your family steps through the gates of a Disney theme park. As we prepared for our trip, I heard from friends about that moment their Disney side took over. For one father, it was seeing the way his little girls’ faces lit up when they saw the Mickey Mouse flower garden just inside the Disneyland entrance. For a mom friend, it was rushing off to take that first thrilling ride on Indiana Jones Adventure with her teenage son after arriving.
I knew our Disney side would come out in full force too, even though I didn’t know how. And my boys were just as excited as I was to step into Disneyland and let the park work its magic on us. We hardly knew what to do first as we stepped into Disneyland and stood staring with Main Street, U.S.A. stretched out in front of us. I saw Sleeping Beauty Castle at the end of the street, just as I’d seen it in so many photos, videos and commercials as a child, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a dream.
But it was when I looked at my boys and saw Zackary and Benjamin’s wide open eyes and huge grins that I really found my Disney side. Their wonder at seeing Disneyland for the first time was overwhelming and had me determined to help them experience everything in the park.
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity and every day brought out our Disney side more and more. From heading under the sea in a submarine on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage to experiencing the life of a pirate on Pirates of the Caribbean, the rides were so much fun and just as magical as I could have hoped. My boys and I all loved the classic 1955 ride Peter Pan’s Flight, which let us actually feel as if we were flying over London by night. And the Haunted Mansion, despite its name, had some great giggles to go with the thrills and chills!
The rides are only part of the appeal of the park, though. From live shows to tasty treats, there was so much more to experience. My boys adored watching the Mickey and the Magical Map performance at the newly reopened Fantasyland Theatre. And there was no better way to relax and recharge on a hot day than by sipping a frosty cold Boysen Apple Freeze while seeing a humour-packed rendition of Tangled in the Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre. Zackary even got the chance to train as a Jedi Knight and fight Darth Vader in Tomorrowland!
It was an overwhelming experience finding our Disney side and now that we have, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be heading back to Disneyland one day. It’s a place that everybody should experience at least once and a place that will inevitably capture your heart once you do experience it. Why not make this the year that you plan that ultimate adventure and discover your Disney side? Once you do, you’ll never be the same!
Let loose, come play and bring out the fun in your family at Disney Parks! What’s your Disney Side? It’s the side of you that laughs more, screams more, and just plain lives life to the fullest. It’s the side of you that comes out to play the moment your family steps into a Disney theme park. Discover your Disney Side at disneyside.ca.
Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Disney Parks via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Disney Parks.
Amy Heffernan says
January 20, 2014 at 12:21 pmThis looks SO amazing. It has always been my dream to take my kids here but so expensive. Glad you all had a great time.
caryn s says
January 20, 2014 at 1:24 pmI always wanted to go to disney too as a kid. I hope to take my little ones and to see the magic of disney through their eyes as that would be extra special!
Jenness M says
January 20, 2014 at 1:38 pmI loved my Disneyland experience when I was little and can’t wait to take my son & daughter (they’re a little too young to appreciate it).
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
January 20, 2014 at 3:34 pmoh my gosh their Fedoras look adorable on them
Stephanie LaPlante says
January 20, 2014 at 4:36 pmI wish I could go sooo bad.
Shelley N says
January 20, 2014 at 7:29 pmDisneys’ live and 3 D shows are so great. The whole experience is amazing not just the rides.
Sarah says
January 20, 2014 at 10:06 pmI hope to have a fun Disney experience with my son one day! Looks like they had a great time!
Chantal D says
January 20, 2014 at 10:08 pmWent many years ago! Would love to go back…what a dream =)
Shannon Gnocato says
January 21, 2014 at 12:13 amWe sooooo love Disneyland. I would have never pictured myself becoming Disney fans (freaks) but we absolutely love it. Always a good family time.
Marianne says
January 21, 2014 at 6:18 amLooks like so much fun, we plan on going in the not too distant future 🙂
angela m says
January 21, 2014 at 8:58 amWe have been talking about taking our two little girls to Disneyland, I am hoping soon that we can find out Disney side!
kristen visser says
January 21, 2014 at 9:53 ami cannot wait to go!!! i have never been but i am such a kid i know i would love it 🙂
kathy downey says
January 21, 2014 at 10:33 amthanks for the info,looks like a fun time ! thanks for sharing
Gord says
January 21, 2014 at 11:55 amI wish I could go there.
Annie Demill says
January 21, 2014 at 1:01 pmI was just there in the October and it was exactly 30 years since I had been the first time! Not much has changed lol Glad you had fun.
Teresa Claire says
January 21, 2014 at 2:31 pmI would love to take Sara there…maybe one day soon!
Kristina says
January 21, 2014 at 11:12 pmDisney is fun. My daughter loved the trip as well-that was Christmas 2012
Becky Best says
January 22, 2014 at 8:01 amAwesome! 🙂
Debbie Bashford says
January 22, 2014 at 8:32 amI have never been but one day…
Laurie B says
January 22, 2014 at 8:35 amI would love to go with my kids. A dream of ours! Looks like you guys had an amazing time! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
kelly young says
January 22, 2014 at 12:23 pmi would love to go with my daughter maybe one year we will get there ..sounds like alot of fun and good memories.
Emily Chui says
January 22, 2014 at 11:18 pmthis looks like so much fun, I’d love to go one day!
Jennifer C aka JusticeSadie says
January 23, 2014 at 12:12 amThis is the Best Trip a Family can take! SO many lifetime memories
Betty S says
January 23, 2014 at 6:21 amDisney is a great place would love to go back
Suzanne G says
January 23, 2014 at 11:10 amThis blog post brought back great memories as we had took our kids to Disney World many years ago and we enjoyed it as much as the kids did. It is such a great place and we want to take our grandkids there within a couple years.
loriag says
January 24, 2014 at 6:26 amWe have never been to Disney Land, but my husband is such a kid at heart, I can just imagine the magic taking over for him. He would be on all the rides, in all the shows, I don`t think he would even sleep.
beth says
January 25, 2014 at 5:24 pmI was at Disney when I was a little girl. Someday I hope to take my own kids
Lindsay C says
January 25, 2014 at 5:48 pmI haven’t been to Disneyland since I was 7 years old, but it was an amazing family vacation and when I have my own children I will be taking them.
Deb Dorrington says
February 2, 2014 at 3:26 pmDisneyland is such a magic place, no matter your age we are all kids there. My daughter wanted to live there when she was little..lol.
Bev says
February 3, 2014 at 10:10 amMy son is too young for Disneyland right now but we would love to take him sometime in the future!
Nicky says
February 4, 2014 at 11:36 amooooh, i soooo wanna go!!!
Clifford says
February 7, 2014 at 3:33 pmHey if you cannot have fun and become a child at Disneyland then there is no hope for you. Disneyland is truly heaven on earth for children of all ages.
Jeannie says
February 10, 2014 at 11:00 amI am jealous! I am dying to take the kids there.
Christina Ferguson says
February 10, 2014 at 3:35 pmI was a single mom for a huge chunk of my three children’s lives and was never able to afford to take them to Disneyland. Now they are all grown up and will one day be starting their own families it is my dream to take their kids to Disneyland. It would be a fabulous family trip for all of us to go on together. I am so glad that you had such a wonderful time. I think I would have lost it when I saw the Sleeping Beauty Castle though…lol.
Kathryn says
February 10, 2014 at 5:01 pmI almost did, Christina! It was a completely magical moment! I LOVE the idea of taking a family trip with your grown-up children; I’m sure they would absolutely love it. I have friends that went not long ago as well and they couldn’t stop talking about how magical it was, not for the kids, but for them. 🙂 It’s one of those rare places that is just overwhelming at any age.
Car Allen says
February 11, 2014 at 1:49 amDisney is so much fun even for us adults, but can be very costly. You have to plan a trip like this very carefully before you go to keep the expenses reasonable. It’s definitely worth it though.
Tara Knott says
February 13, 2014 at 10:17 amTo me, watching the parade and seeing the characters is the highlight. I love watching my boys’ eyes light up and it bring tears to my eyes everytime!
Brandee H says
February 13, 2014 at 4:00 pmI went as a child and look forward to taking my son! Definitely worth having a Disney piggy bank. Your boys look to be a good age to go as well. Great memories!
Paula H says
February 14, 2014 at 3:37 pmLove your post! Your kids are ADOEABLE!! they look like they had the time of their life!! I can’t wait to go! we are planning a HUGE family reunion in Orlando for 2016
Jenn erin says
February 14, 2014 at 3:42 pmDisneyland is a must! The experience is unforgettable! I’m glad you guys had a great time!!
MrDisco says
February 14, 2014 at 9:33 pmthose are some cool mugs
Holly Wright says
February 14, 2014 at 10:32 pmI would love to go back!!
Heather Benoit says
February 15, 2014 at 7:14 pmWould love to take my family one day soon !!
Catherine R. says
July 19, 2014 at 11:22 amDisney is so wonderful I just love it, it’s the one place that always makes you feel like a kid again. Thanks for your great review it brought back memories of taking my children there when they were young.